Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary Still Delivering: September 2026 Release Confirmed
Pokémon fans have another reason to celebrate as the franchise keeps rolling through its 30th anniversary year. The series first burst into the mainstream in the mid-1990s with Pokémon Red and Blue, quickly followed by an anime run and an endless stream of merchandise. Thirty years on, Pokémon is still positioned as the most successful entertainment brand on the planet—an anniversary milestone that’s clearly not slowing down.
To mark the occasion, Nintendo is bringing Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen—originally Game Boy Advance titles—to the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo also used the moment to reveal what’s next for the series: Generation 10 games titled Pokémon Winds and Waves, which it says will be Switch 2 exclusives. On top of that, The Pokémon Company is teaming up with Target to roll out limited-edition Pokémon merchandise. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s more planned on the merchandise front soon, including a massive puzzle set scheduled to arrive in September of this year.
Meanwhile, Pokémon GO is also getting fresh content: a new event that lets players obtain three exceptionally rare Pokémon for free.
Ravensburger is Releasing a Gigantic Pokemon Puzzle
Ravensburger is preparing a colossal Pokémon puzzle made up of 40,320 pieces. The finished puzzle is reported to be more than 22 feet long, making it the kind of release that’s as much about display as it is about solving. At the time of writing, official pricing hasn’t been posted, but expectations put the cost somewhere in the $700 to $800 range at minimum. The puzzle is set to include a broad mix of Pokémon from different generations and types.
Even if that price tag puts it out of reach for many buyers, the release seems aimed squarely at collectors and longtime fans who want a premium item to own. Ravensburger’s pre-order details and final pricing are expected to be clarified closer to the puzzle’s September 2026 launch.
Click on the game with the higher OpenCritic rating.
For players who are mainly watching for new mainline Pokémon releases, the schedule is comparatively quiet right now: there are no new main series Pokémon games planned until next year. In the meantime, fans can keep busy with Pokémon Pokopia content—starting with the Bubbly Basin DLC in August. Additional expansions are also lined up after that, with two more DLC drops expected in late 2026 and early 2027. Specifics about what those later expansions will include are limited for now, but the third DLC is confirmed to add a new town that players can explore and decorate.
As for the main series timeline, Pokémon Winds and Waves is expected to land in late 2027. The next round of information is likely to arrive on February 27, 2027—also known as Pokémon Day. While official details are still pending, there have been numerous leaks suggesting the Generation 10 games could add hundreds of new creatures when they launch next year. Those reports also claim regional variants for fan-favorite Pokémon such as Psyduck. Even so, it’s recommended that players hold expectations until Nintendo confirms what’s real.
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While fans wait for more information about Winds and Waves and other future Pokémon plans, there’s still plenty to look forward to on the merchandise side, including Ravensburger’s extremely expensive—though potentially satisfying—puzzle for the dedicated.
